FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to the general field of controllable RF phase shifters and more particularly relates to improved controllable phase shifters for use in planar phased arrays at high RF frequencies in the X- and K-bands. Special utility for the invention is found in radar systems having a high pulse repetition frequency which is necessary to eliminate velocity ambiguity in a moving target indication mode.
RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to the following commonly assigned patent applications (the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference):
Roberts et al Ser. No. 07/330,617, filed Mar. 30, 1989, "Hybrid Mode RF Phase Shifter", now U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,648 issued on Dec. 24, 1991;
Roberts Ser. No. 07/330,638, filed Mar. 30, 1989, "Reciprocal Hybrid Mode RF Circuit for Coupling RF Transceiver to an RF Radiator" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,099 ussued on Jul. 7, 1992;
Wallis et al Ser. No. 07/333,961, filed Apr. 6, 1989, "Simplified Driver for Controlled Flux Ferrite Phase Shifter" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,716 issued on Feb. 18, 1992;
Rigg Ser. No. 07/353,431, filed May 18, 1989, "Distributed Planar Array Beam Steering Control", now U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,691 issued on Dec. 25, 1990.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A controllable RF phase shifter should ideally have minimum size, weight, cost and complexity along with low insertion loss, low insertion loss modulation, temperature stability, low drive power requirements and the ability to obtain a desired phase shift in a fast and accurate manner. Although improvements continue to be obtained in the art, still further improvements are required for many applications.
Radar applications having high pulse repetition frequencies in the 200 to 300 kHz range require relatively small high performance controllable reciprocal phase shifters operable in the upper frequency ranges. For example, radar applications involving planar phased arrays for use in aircraft require high performance phase shifters in the X- and K-bands.
Existing planar substrate diode phase shifters may be used in such applications and offer the advantage of being reciprocal between transmit and receive modes, thus eliminating the necessity for switching. The use of reciprocal phase shifters for the above-noted applications is considered a must in most instances due to the aforementioned high pulse repetition frequency required. In this regard if a non-reciprocal phase shifter is used, it must be switched in order to obtain reciprocity between transmit and receive modes which would require the phase shifter to switch at a rate twice the pulse repetition frequency, 400-600 KHz for most airborne moving target indication (MTI) modes. On the other hand, the use of reciprocal phase shifters that are switched only when the beam position for a phased array is changed may require switching at a much lower rate of only about 500 Hz.
In phased array applications of the aforementioned nature insertion loss, insertion loss modulation, RF power, bandwidth, phase accuracy, switching time, switching power and, of course, cost are critical. A waveguide mode twin slab ferrite phase shifter of the nature described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,098 to Sharon et al excels in some of these areas. Such twin slab phase shifters, however, are typically mounted in a waveguide housing which is not compatible with microstrip. Accordingly, such phase shifters are relatively large and expensive. Moreover, they are non-reciprocal and if unswitched reciprocity is desirable, these elements must be used in conjunction with circulators, thus further increasing the size.
As may be seen from a review of the above noted copending related application to Roberts et al, Ser. No. 07/330,617, filed Mar. 30, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,648 issued on Dec. 24, 1991, the Sharon et al type of dual toroid ferrite phase shifter may be greatly miniaturized and incorporated serially with a microstrip transmission line to produce a very small, essentially planar phase shifter which excels with respect to most of the above noted critical parameters of a phased shifter for a phase array application. Such hybrid phase shifters, however, are also non-reciprocal.
I have discovered that by properly combining diode and ferrite phase shifter technology a planar substrate ferrite/diode phase shifter for phased array applications is obtainable which offers significant advantages over ferrite technology and major improvements over existing planar substrate diode phase shifter technology.
In a nutshell such advantages may be obtained by using ferrite technology for a 180° controllable phase shifter stage with the remaining controllable phase shifter stages employing diode phase shifters for a composite controllable phase shifter especially usable in a phased array application. Although the ferrite 180° stage is non-reciprocal, the 180° stage does not require switching between transmit and receive modes in a typical phased array application. That is to say, the ferrite 180° stage in phased array applications does not require switching between transmit and receive modes since the 180° offset is of no consequence in many scanning arrays. The remaining stages, however, are required to be reciprocal to avoid switching between modes. Diode technology may be used for these remaining stages since they are inherently reciprocal.
The use of PIN diodes in phase shifting arrangements for use in phased arrays is well known as indicated by: the PIN Diode Designers' Handbook and Catalog by Unitrode Corp., Lexington, Mass., pages 99 through 101; and "A Diode Phase Shifter for Array Antennas", by J. F. White, 1964 PTGMTT International Symposium Program and Digest, pages 181 through 185.
Exemplary embodiments combining diode and ferrite technology in the manner detailed below offers several significant advantages over an all diode phase shifter. Moreover, such advantages are even more significant at the higher microwave frequencies. For example, the disclosed exemplary embodiment exhibits a lower insertion loss and insertion loss modulation, lower VSWR and VSWR modulation along with higher power handling capability along with lower drive power. Moreover, there are advantages compared to other competing technologies, such as the dual mode reciprocal ferrite phase shifter and the hybrid mode reciprocal ferrite phase shifter (where reciprocity is obtained by pairing two such phase shifters or by switching). Although the advantages are somewhat less in magnitude compared to those pertaining to diode phase shifters, the advantages of my exemplary embodiments are nevertheless significant. For example, distinct advantages are obtained with respect to temperature stability, switching speed and in many applications, lower cost as well.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These as well as other objects and advantages of my discovery will be better appreciated by careful study of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1A is a top view of a physical embodiment of a plural bit phase shifter employing a ferrite 180° bit hybrid mode, microstrip compatible phase shifter stage in combination with a 90° bit diode stage and a 45° bit diode stage for an exemplary three-bit phase shifter;
FIG. 1B is a side view of the exemplary three-bit microstrip, compatible ferrite/diode phase shifter of FIG. 1A illustrating the relative placement of elements and dimensions for the exemplary physical embodiment;
FIG. 1C is a partial sectional view showing the manner in which a semiconductor diode and capacitor may be incorporated and connected in the phase shifting arrangement of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 1D is a schematic illustration of the elements of FIG. 1C;
FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a phased array including control elements and parameters of the scan equation for a scan at a given angle (ψ), the phase gradient (Δφ) and the distance from element to element (d); and
FIG. 3 in block diagram format shows an exemplary embodiment of a phased array using the exemplary three-bit planar substrate ferrite/diode phase shifter for each array element--with a 90° phase gradient (Δφ) from array element-to-element and a 180° offset between transmit and receive modes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
In the exemplary embodiment of an improved phase shifter 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, three discrete phase shifter stages are shown (each controlled by one corresponding bit of a three-bit phase control word) which combine ferrite and diode technologies. The dielectric alumina substrate 17 including a copper with gold flash overlay ground plane 16 includes a non-reciprocal ferrite 180° phase shifter 11 of a nature disclosed in commonly assigned application Serial No. 07/330,617 by Roberts et al. The hybrid phase shifter described therein which has been incorporated by reference may be described as a miniaturized waveguide phase shifter inserted serially between interrupted matched impedance microstrip transmission lines, such as 14, of FIG. 1A herein. The phase shift of this ferrite shifter stage is controlled by the polarity of a current pulse via the 180° bit control terminal illustrated in the figure to which latch wire 18 is connected.
As previously noted, such ferrite phase shifter stages are non-reciprocal. However, for many phased array applications it is unnecessary to switch this bit between transmit and receive modes, thus requiring switching only for beam steering purposes which occurs at a much lower rate than the pulse repetition rates in transceivers.
As may be seen in FIG. 1A, diode phase shifters 12 and 13 are used for the remainder such as a 90° bit stage and a 45° bit stage. In this regard it is to be noted that although the exemplary embodiment is a three-bit phase shifter, the concept works for any number of bits. For example, a fourth 221/2 bit stage may be added, as well as additional stages.
Each of the diode stages includes two diodes connected at the end of stubs 15 of microstrip 14. As previously noted, since such diode stages are inherently reciprocal, switching is unnecessary between transmit and receive modes. Additionally, it is to be noted that although the exemplary embodiment illustrates the use of two stubs and diodes for the 90° stage, additional such elements may be added in this stage for increased bandwidth.
As may be seen from a consideration of FIGS. 1C and 1D, the diode stages 12 and 13 can be implemented using encapsulated capacitors in series with PIN diodes inserted through openings in the substrate 17 and connected between an appropriate loaded microstrip transmission line segment and the ground plane 16 by way of a soldered or brazed connection 21, for example. A bit control line 19, for example, may be connected to a pair of such diodes with their blocking capacitors connected to the loaded stubs 15, as illustrated in FIG. 1C (which has an equivalent circuit as shown in FIG. 1D). Similar connections are made for each of the diode shifter stages.
In the presently preferred embodiment the alumina substrate 17 has a relative dielectric constant of about 9 and a thickness H of 0.025 inches. Ground plane 16 is preferably copper with gold flashing and may typically range from 100 microinches to 0.001 inch. Moreover, the width W of the microstrip in this exemplary embodiment is such that with the above noted dielectric constant and thickness, the microstrip has a characteristic transmission line impedance of 50 ohms. Additionally, although the lengths L and M of stubs 12 and 13, respectively, may vary somewhat with the capacitor size (approximately 10 picofarad) in order to obtain the appropriate susceptance for a desired phase shift for each stage, in most instances such stub lengths will be slightly less than 1/4 wavelength (λ/4).
Additional exemplary dimensions for the presently preferred embodiment include dimensions J, K and N which are less than but approximately equal to λ/4 and with J also preferably being dimensioned to be larger than the width W of the microstrip 14 (to avoid undesirable interstage coupling). Still further exemplary dimensions include the width A of the phase shifter element 10 being approximately 0.2 inches, a length B of about 0.6 inch and an overall height C of approximately 0.100 inches. The above dimensions are typical for a phasor operating in the X-band frequency range.
FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a phased array and its computer control as well as parameters of the scan equation for a given angle ψ, a selected phase gradient Δφ and the distance d between array elements (1, 2,--n). Scan control device 20, as aforementioned, may include a conventional computer system for supplying suitable phase control bits to each array element register 21, which in turn supplies the control bits to each of the phase shifter stages to obtain a desired scan angle for the array, as well as maintaining a desired phase gradient Δφ (which is the change in relative radiated phase from antenna array element to array element).
As may be seen from FIG. 2 the sine of ψ is x/d and x=d sin ψ where x is the path difference from aperture 1 to aperture 2 when constructive interference occurs. ψis the scan angle and d is the element to element spacing. Additionally, the phase gradient Δφ is obtained by converting x to electrical length.
Δφ=2πx/λ,
then
Δφ=2π/λd sin ψ.
Since each controllable phaser of FIG. 2 corresponds to a controllable phase shifter of the nature illustrated in FIG. 1A, for example, it may be seen that with the appropriate binary control inputs to each element, a desired scan angle and phase gradient may be obtained for the RF at radiator ports 1 to n.
It is important to maintain the phase gradient from element to element of a phased array during both transmit and receive times for a given scan direction. As aforementioned, although any number of control bits may be implemented, as shown in FIG. 3 a three-bit controllable phase shifter has been selected for the exemplary array. Each of the phase shifter stages incorporates a ferrite hybrid mode 180° stage along with a diode 90° stage and a 45° stage, with the control bits of the non-reciprocal ferrite stage and the reciprocal diode stages selected for the illustrated example so as to obtain a 90° phase gradient or element to element phase difference. As will be noted, the selected 90° phase gradient is obtained on transmit and receive without switching the non-reciprocal ferrite 180° bit. As will be further noted from a consideration of the FIG. 3, the only difference between transmit and receive is a 180° offset which is of no consequence for many phase scanning array applications.
The disclosed exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1A as used in phased array applications represents a major improvement over existing planar substrate all diode phase shifters, as well as obtaining distinct advantages, albeit somewhat less significant advantages, over dual mode reciprocal ferrite phase shifters and hybrid mode reciprocal ferrite phase shifters.
When compared to an all diode phase shifter arrangement, for example, the disclosed exemplary embodiment will have a lower insertion loss and insertion loss modulation, lower VSWR and VSWR modulation, higher power handling capability, lower drive power requirements and possibly lower cost. Such advantages are obtained since in an all diode phase shifter the 180° stage has the highest loss and loss modulation, as well as the highest VSWR and VSWR modulation. Moreover, since the diodes on the 180° stage are most often directly coupled to the line, the 180° stage has the lowest power handling capability.
As to competing technologies involving dual mode reciprocal ferrite phase shifters or hybrid mode reciprocal ferrite phase shifters, the advantages are less pronounced since both have lower insertion loss and insertion loss modulation. However, the exemplary embodiments of my invention nevertheless offer significant advantages over these phase shifters as to temperature stability, switching speed and, depending on the application, lower cost as well.
Accordingly, with continued interest in planar phased arrays for aircraft radar and the like, a low cost, high performance phase shifter for the X- and K-bands may be obtained by combining both ferrite and diode technology in the manner described with respect to the illustrated exemplary embodiments.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.